Temperance

As much as possible, avoid all substances that are known to increase the stress load on the body. These include alcohol, tobacco, cigarettes, caffeine, soft drinks (even if decaffeinated), recreational (illicit) drugs, and even pharmaceutical drugs, unless absolutely needed. This also includes many vitamins and supplements. Each of these chemical substances creates unusually harsh or extremely imbalanced conditions that rob the body of optimum energy, vitality, and health.

An often quoted scientific study reported that one glass of red wine was beneficial for heart health, falsely attributing the benefit to the alcohol content in the wine. A subsequent study showed the same beneficial affect on heart health using purple grape juice. The affect was not seen with white grape juice or white wine. We can then conclude that the beneficial affect was due to the phyto-nutrients in the purple grape juice and in the red wine, not to the alcohol. The truth is one glass of wine will permanently kill 10,000 neurons, the “thinking brain cells.” There is no known safe amount, all is addictive, and there is no way to choose which cells will die. Avoid all alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, black tea, and recreational drugs. For the beneficial effects that are often associated with wine, drink pure grape juice of the vine that is unfermented and that has no alcohol present.